CVE-2026-112914: filelock: SoftFileLock stale-break restore follows a swapped-in symbolic link and hard-links a file of the user running the lock into the lock directory
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 21/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.16% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: tox-dev filelock 4.2.1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to tox-dev filelock 4.2.1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
filelock is a platform-independent file lock for Python. From 4.1.0 until 4.2.1, SoftFileLock can restore a stale marker by name after moving it aside, allowing another local user with rename access in a non-sticky lock directory to swap in a symbolic link and, on a runtime that follows the link and a same-filesystem target, make the lock user hard-link one of its files into the lock directory. This issue is fixed in version 4.2.1.
- Published
- Oct 20, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 5th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-363
Report tools
Action score
21
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 21 / 40 · 5.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 5.3
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| tox-dev | filelock | cpe:2.3:a:tox-dev:filelock |
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
tox-dev filelock
- >= 4.1.0, < 4.2.1affected
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- tox-dev filelock4.1.0 and later · before 4.2.1
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | python-filelock | from 0 | — |
| Debian:14 | python-filelock | before 4.2.8-1 | 4.2.8-1 |
| PyPI | filelock | from 4.1.0 · before 4.2.1 | 4.2.1 |
Same product
tox-dev: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-112940filelock ReadWriteLock: SQLite reopens the lock database by name, so a planted symlink or journal file makes the lock user's process overwrite or unlink its…28Monitor
- CVE-2025-68146filelock has TOCTOU race condition that allows symlink attacks during lock file creation26Monitor
- CVE-2026-112911filelock: StrictSoftFileLock and SoftReadWriteLock adopt a protocol directory another user created first, losing mutual exclusion25Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-112909Oct 20, 2026 · filelock: UnixFileLock truncates and chmods any regular file another user renames or hard-links onto the lock path24Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-112912Oct 20, 2026 · filelock: Symlink swap during SoftFileLock's writability check leaks whether a path exists and is writable by the lock taker10Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-112915Oct 20, 2026 · filelock ReadWriteLock: a crafted lock database makes every acquire stall or hang regardless of timeout22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| tox-dev filelock | 4.2.1 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:python-filelock | 4.2.8-1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:filelock | 4.2.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Published
- Fix recordedsame day
- TodayNov 13, 2026+24 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2026-1129400 days apartfilelock ReadWriteLock: SQLite reopens the lock database by name, so a planted symlink or journal file makes the lock user's process overwrite or unlink its…28Monitor
- CVE-2026-11293816 days apartfilelock: StrictSoftFileLock follows a symbolic link swapped in at <path>.filelock and creates claim files in a directory another local user chooses23Monitor
Not on record for this CVE: researcher credit · public bounty program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-363 · Race Condition Enabling Link FollowingCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- SSVC exploitation— → none
- Exploit maturity— → none
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (2 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.